


How to Date Your Best Friend (Without Her Knowing)

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pining, alyanette - Freeform, and it took me this long to write it, because I'm garbage, better late than never, from like two years ago, girl squad schemes, giveaway prize
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: When Marinette falls in love with her best friend Alya, the girl squad steps in to help her confess her feelings. What could go wrong?
Relationships: Alya Césaire/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 11
Kudos: 207





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, forever ago, like two summers ago, I reached 1500 followers on tumblr, and I did a giveaway where I picked three winners, and this was what my 2nd place person requested forever ago. I'm not even sure if this person even remembers that they won this or even still wants this, but uhh I wrote it because I keep my promises. It might take me a year and a half, but I will get around to it! Now to write for 1st place...  
> It's my fault for taking so long because I wanted to write the whole thing in its entirety before posting it, so I just kept putting it off and getting sidetracked by other things and other wips, but I told myself recently that I was going to get this one written by the end of 2019 dammit, so here it is! I hope you enjoy the fluff. Keep in mind that I started this before s3 aired, and I know that Alya has lost a lot of traction after s3, but like we're just gonna ignore Chameleon and say this takes place on an alternate timeline before Chameleon happened and that because of this Chameleon never happens.

Chapter 1

“Girls, I have a big problem.”

Marinette leaned across her kitchen table with a somber expression as Juleka, Rose, Alix, and Mylene sipped cups of tea and munched on cookies. They eyed her curiously and waited for her to continue and hopefully explain why she had gathered them all together for this “emergency” meeting.

“It’s about Alya…” She admitted, averting her gaze as a light blush crept over her cheeks.

“Is she sick?” Alix asked, cocking a brow.

“No…”

“Is her birthday coming up?” Mylene guessed, pursing her lips in thought as if trying to remember.

“Not exactly.”

“Is she moving to another school?” Rose gasped in horror.

“What- No!” Marinette shook her head, waving for them to stop. They all gave her similarly perplexed frowns as she took a deep breath and curled her shoulders. “I like her.”

“Ohh,” The girls all said in unison.

“That’s so romantic!” Rose cooed, clasping her hands together, but Alix wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“So, what exactly are we here for?” Alix asked, instantly bored.

“I need advice! When I’m around her now, I get all clammy and nervous and start mixing up my words.” She said, tapping her index fingers together with a pout.

“Well, Alya’s your best friend, so you shouldn’t have to worry, right?” Mylene said, but Marinette shifted her weight.

“See that’s part of the reason why I am so nervous. What if she only sees me as a friend, and if I tell her how I feel, she rejects me and then it makes our friendship weird, and then she won’t want to hang out anymore because it’s awkward, and then she’ll find a new best friend, and I’ll be all alone and-” Alix stuffed a cookie in her mouth to shut her up, and she chewed it stiffly.

“None of that is going to happen,” Alix assured her with an eye roll. “Alya adores you.”

“Yeah, and you have us here to help you,” Mylene added, and a smile curled on Marinette’s lips.

“Thanks, girls,” She said as they all stood up and enveloped her in a group hug.

“Consider us your romantic secret service, Marinette,” Rose said cheerfully with a determined grin. “We’re here to help make sure Operation Alyanette goes as smoothly as possible.”

“Alyanette?” Alix quirked a brow.

“It’s their ship name that I came up with while we were hugging,” Rose explained, clapping her hands and bouncing a little. “Hands in, girls. It’s time to hook up our best friends.”

Juleka and Mylene joined her with equally determined expressions, and although Alix rolled her eyes, she stuck a hand in as well. Marinette closed her eyes, cheeks bright red as she turned away but stuck a hand in anyway.

“3, 2, 1 Alyanette!”

_Attempt Number 1_

The girls all crowded around the end of the row of lockers, watching as Alya twisted in her combination and opened her locker. Rose clung to Juleka excitedly as Alya picked up the pink note that they’d neatly folded into the shape of a heart and carefully peeled it open. They’d spent a solid hour drafting its contents and helping Marinette sign her name with a cute heart dotting the i. They decided to keep the note simple so that they could spend more time planning her outfit and date activities opting for a simple “Meet me at the Trocadero at 4.” Alya tilted her head curiously, eyebrows furrowing a little though she ultimately shrugged and shut her locker.

“Did she read it?” Marinette asked, voice pitched up an octave out of worry.

“Yep,” Juleka mumbled into her ear piece.

“I think she’s on her way now,” Rose said, bouncing with excitement.

Across the city, Marinette paced in front of the steps, rubbing her bare arms a little as a gust of cool wind blew by. Why hadn’t they checked the weather when they planned to put her in a sleeveless dress? She kicked herself for not wearing at least a cardigan. This date was already a disaster, and Alya wasn’t even there yet!

“Is everyone in position?” Rose asked in her ear.

“Daisy’s got eyes on Pink Macaron,” Mylene replied, and Marinette glanced up to where Mylene was peeking over the railing with a pair of binoculars.

“Snake eyes is buying a hot chocolate at the café, but otherwise ready to go,” Alix chimed in.

“Guitar Strings and Bubblegum are tailing the Red Goddess,” Rose reported, and Marinette tapped her foot anxiously, crossing her arms over her chest and shivering a little.

She resumed pacing to try to warm herself up, and after several minutes, her nerves were through the roof. Each second felt like an hour, and she was beginning to worry that Alya wasn’t going to show up. Sniffling for what felt like the billionth time, she reached a hand to her ear, ready to call the whole thing off when a voice called her name, and she spun around to see Alya approaching with a smile.

“Hey, girl, what’s up?” She asked with a laugh, pulling her into a hug, and Marinette savored her warmth for a moment before they pulled away.

“Oh, uh, not much,” Marinette said smoothly with a shrug.

“Really? Then why’d you leave a note in my locker? You could have just text me if you wanted to hang out,” Alya said pointedly, cocking her head to one side.

“Uh, yes, I thought that maybe you and I could walk around since the weather is nice,” She explained, and Alya glanced up at the dismal, gray sky with a bewildered expression before flicking her gaze back down to Marinette who did her best not to shiver as another cold breeze blew by.

“Okay?” Alya said slowly. “Aren’t you cold in that?”

“Absotutely- I mean, no, not at all.” She shook her head, plastering on a stiff grin and turning to gesture to the sidewalk where other pedestrians shuffled along. “Shall we?”

“Uh, sure.” Alya’s eyes narrowed a little, but she followed along beside Marinette nonetheless.

As they walked, Marinette became painfully aware of the silence stretching between them, but for the life of her couldn’t think of anything to say. A few times she tried, but her breath always caught in her throat, so she just clasped her hands together in front of her and kept walking. Her fingers were going numb from the cold, and she eyed Alya’s hand, though her heart fluttered at that thought of reaching out to take it.

“Say something, Macaron,” Mylene urged in her ear.

“Yeah, no offence, but she’s never going to fall for you if you turn into a mute,” Alix added, and Marinette clenched her hands into fists, taking a deep breath.

“You’ve been getting a lot of hits on the Ladyblog, I’ve noticed,” She said finally, and Alya perked up.

“I got an amazing scoop on that last akuma. I had to climb on the roof of the movie theater to get it, and the security guard did throw me out, but it was totally worth it. I caught Ladybug capturing the akuma on camera! I was so stoked!” Alya recounted excitedly. “Too bad about her timer thing. I want an interview with her so bad!”

“Maybe I could help you get one,” Marinette blurted without thinking, and Alya turned to face her, eyes alight with enthusiasm.

“For real? Girl, I would love you forever!” She pulled her into a tight hug, and Marinette shivered a little as the warmth of her body permeated across her skin. “M, you’re ice cold.”

“I’m fine,” She lied, but Alya held her tighter, rubbing the backs of her arms to help warm her up which was arguably effective as Marinette’s cheeks darkened three shades.

“Look, I know you’re way into fashion, but you should really dress fashionably for the weather,” Alya scolded gently. “Come on. Let’s get you home before you catch a cold.”

“Okay…” Marinette relented, and immediately, she found herself barraged by several disapproving voices.

“No, no, no you still have half a date left!” Mylene insisted.

“Yeah, if you guys don’t come to this café I’m gonna graffiti the side of your bakery, Marinette,” Alix threatened jokingly.

“Um, actually, why don’t we get some coffee? That’ll warm me up,” She suggested.

“Okay, sure,” Alya said with a shrug, allowing Marinette to lead the way.

Alix peeked over the counter as they approached, glancing up at Theo purposefully.

“Here they come,” She hissed, slapping his leg. “Do you remember what to do?”

“Yeah,” He said, rolling his eyes. “Hey, is your brother ever gonna call me back?”

“Ugh, seriously?” Alix threw her head back with a groan. “To be perfectly honest, no. Every time he clicks your name he starts hyperventilating and needs his inhaler. Just come by the Louvre if you want to see him and ask him about mummies. He loves mummies.”

“Will do. Thanks, Alix,” Theo whispered with a wink as Alya and Marinette entered, and Alix pressed herself under the counter out of sight.

“A medium coffee for me. 3 creams, 2 sugars, and 2 shots of espresso,” Alya ordered.

“Just milk for me,” Marinette added.

“I’ll get those right out.” Theo nodded, passing them their change.

Marinette took a seat at a table, pressing her hands between her thighs to warm them; meanwhile, Alya scrolled through her comments on the Ladyblog. When Theo placed their cups in front of them, Marinette took a sip immediately, not bothering to read the carefully crafted words ‘I love you’ as she did so. The coffee was hot and burned her tongue the moment it made contact, and she squealed in pain, setting the cup down quickly which only further jostled her message.

“Wait,” Alya said, smacking her lips together a few times. “I think they mixed us up, this one is yours.”

Marinette’s eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned over her cup to see nothing but blurry smudges. “Oh no.”

“No biggie,” Alya said, swapping their cups and stirring away any last traces of Marinette’s intended confession.

This date couldn’t get any worse.

“Mmm, did you hear about Gabriel’s new clothing line? Nino says Adrien has a big photoshoot this weekend if you wanna go watch,” Alya said giving her a knowing look, and Marinette winced.

See since Alya didn’t know that Marinette was in love with her, she also didn’t exactly know that Marinette was over Adrien. Which meant that Alya was still trying to help her win him over. Her life was a bisexual nightmare.

“Uh, I think I have something to do that day,” She lied, cupping an icy hand over the back of her neck.

“Major bummer! I’ll be sure to buy you a copy of the magazine as soon as it hits the stands,” Alya promised, and Marinette averted her gaze, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” She started, twiddling her thumbs.

“What’s up?” Alya tilted her head to one side, and Marinette’s heart jumped up to her throat.

She moved her hands to her lap to hide how they shook, heart beating hard in her chest. Why was it so difficult all of a sudden? Alya was her best friend, the one person in the world that she trusted and shared all of her secrets with. Someone who stayed up all night talking to her whenever they had sleepovers because they just couldn’t stop talking. The one who gave her confidence when she needed it most and inspired her to become Ladybug again. Why now were words so hard to come by?

Swallowing hard, she deflated a little and shifted her gaze back down to her drink. “Uh, just I designed a new sweater the other day. That’s all.”

“Awesome! You’ll have to show me later.” Alya smiled as her phone vibrated on the table. “Oops, gotta jam. I’m meeting Nora and the twins at the movies. Can you make it home okay?”

Marinette felt her heart sink, but those three words refused to leave her lips, so she smiled and nodded instead.

“Yeah, I’ll take the bus,” She said, waving as Alya left before her face fell into her hands.

“ _I love you_.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Okay, so the date could have gone better…” Mylene said the next day over Skype, and each of the girls wore the same wince as Marinette blew her nose unattractively on her end. “But look on the bright side.”

“What bright side? The date was a total bust,” Alix said with a grunt.

“At least you can try again?” Rose offered, shrugging her shoulders. “As soon as you get over your cold.”

“Next time let’s be sure to check the weather,” Marinette said with a sniffle.

“Maybe the next date should be indoors like at the movies,” Mylene suggested, tapping her chin.

“Oh, then you can hold her hand or lean against her shoulder!” Rose added, clasping her hands over her heart with a dreamy sigh.

“If you see a scary movie, you’ll have an excuse to lean against her,” Juleka said, and Marinette leaned against her fist.

“Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks, girls,” she said before sneezing into another tissue.

“Get some rest and drink plenty of fluids!” Mylene advised before they all said their goodbyes and hung up.

“Ugh, what am I gonna do, Tikki?” Marinette whined, pushing away from the desk and throwing her head back. “What if an akuma attacks? My head feels like a balloon.”

“Maybe you should contact Master Fu,” Tikki said with a wince. “I’m sure he would understand. You are human after all. You were bound to get sick eventually.”

“Ugh, I can’t believe I messed up so badly.” Marinette let her face fall into her hands. “It’s just Alya, but I get so nervous about relationship stuff. It was the same way with Adrien. Maybe I’m just hopeless at love.”

“I think you’re just inexperienced. I’m sure you’ll get better with time,” Tikki said, hovering in front of her face.

“You really think so?” Marinette peeked through her fingers.

“Of course! You didn’t think you would make a good Ladybug, but you’re the best Ladybug I’ve ever had!” Marinette smiled, relaxing her shoulders a bit.

“Thanks, Tikki.”

“Marinette! Alya is here,” her mother called from the base of the stairs.

“Oh, hide, Tikki!” Marinette cupped her hands over her cheeks in a flustered panic as she spun around just as Alya’s head appeared in her trap door.

“Hey, girl. I heard you caught a cold, so I brought some homemade soup.” She held up a container with a wince. “How are you feeling?”

“My head feels like it’s full of cotton,” she admitted, cheeks flushing.

“Your face is all red, do you have a fever?” Alya asked, pressing a hand over her forehead. “You feel a little warm.”

“Just a tiny one,” Marinette said, pressing her palms between her knees to keep them from shaking.

“Maybe you should lie down and get some rest,” Alya said gently, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet.

The world around her seemed to spin for a moment, and she took a wobbly step forward, leaning against Alya for support. Alya smiled down at her affectionately, wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her up the stairs. Once in bed, she helped Marinette situate her blanket before sitting on the mattress next to her.

“I’m gonna help you knit yourself a sweater,” she teased, brushing Marinette’s nose with her finger. “What were you thinking the other day?”

“That it would have been warmer,” she grumbled under her breath.

“Seriously, girl, sometimes you totally space,” Alya said with a laugh. “You’re lucky I’m here to keep your head screwed on.”

“Thank you,” Marinette said, pulling her blanket up to hide her face. “You’ve always been there for me, and if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

“Aww, girl.” Alya smiled, patting her hair. “That’s what best friends are for.”

“I know, but I just wanted to say thank you, so…” Alya eyed her a moment before her face softened.

“You’re welcome then,” she said before shifting onto her knees. “You should get some rest. I’ll come visit you when you’re feeling better.”

“Okay,” Marinette sniffled.

“Later, girl.” Alya waved as she climbed down from the loft and disappeared back through the trap door.

Marinette instantly reached for a tissue as soon as she was gone to blow her nose, tickling the back of her throat just so and breaking into a coughing fit. She was really glad Alya wasn’t around to see that, but even still, she couldn’t tell if her heart was pounding from excitement or dehydration.

Alya had come to visit her! Which was to be expected seeing as they were best friends, but Marinette didn’t care. For just a few moments, she pretended that it was because Alya secretly loved her too, and that was enough to distract her from the misery of her illness until it subsided a few days later.

_Attempt 2_

“Alya, Marinette, fancy seeing you here,” Mylene said that weekend as Alya and Marinette exited the theater.

She was there with Ivan, Juleka and Rose to see how the date went, but upon seeing Marinette’s frazzled, fear-struck expression clinging to Alya’s arm, she determined not very well. The girls exchanged winces, and Alya seemed to notice their concern for Marinette, so she patted her head with a smile.

“We went and saw that horror movie Juleka recommended, and Marinette spent the entire movie crying into my shirt,” Alya said with an eye roll. “I asked you beforehand if you were sure you could handle it, girl.”

“I never want to look at teddy bears again,” Marinette said, shakily gripping onto Alya tighter.

Oh yeah. They’d forgotten that Marinette hates horror films, and Rose slapped a palm to her forehead.

_Attempt 5_

“Okay, our plan is foolproof this time. There is absolutely no way disaster can strike, so no chickening out!” Rose coached Marinette in her earpiece as she waited by Alya’s locker.

“Yeah, if you back out of this then you owe us all free croissants for a month,” Alix added.

“You can do it, Marinette!” Mylene said, and Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat, tapping her feet anxiously.

“Alya just entered the locker room!” Rose said with a squeal, and Marinette felt her spine stiffen.

“Hey, girl,” Alya greeted with a smile upon seeing her. “What’s up?”

“I, uh, was just wondering if you wanted to go get some ice cream after school,” Marinette said, holding her breath as she awaited a reply.

“No can do today. I have to babysit the twins because Nora has practice.” Alya shook her head as she placed books into her locker, and the girls all face palmed around the corner.

“Oh, right. No worries. Some other time then,” Marinette said, deflating a little.

“Totally. See you later, girl,” Alya said, and Marinette waved as she walked away before falling back against the locker with a groan.

“Okay, disaster-proof except in the instance that she has other plans,” Alix said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

_Attempt 12_

“The amusement park is the perfect place to show her you know how to cut loose and have fun,” Mylene said as Juleka and Rose touched up Marinette’s hair and lip-gloss. “Just relax, and everything will go according to plan.”

“We’ll be following close behind if you need anything,” Rose assured her, and Marinette let out a sigh.

“Thanks, girls. You’re the best,” she said as Juleka screwed the cap back on the tube and tucked it inside Marinette’s purse.

“Good luck!”

Marinette waved with a grimace as her friends retreated to their lookout post and turned to wait for Alya. Mylene was right. She just needed to have fun. The amusement park was public and relaxed, so there was absolutely no reason to be nervous or worry, right?

Wrong.

A few rides in and Marinette’s nerves got the better of her, and after a few loop-the-loops on a rollercoaster, Marinette was feeling dizzy.

“You okay, girl?” Alya asked as they climbed off the ride, observing her friend’s pale complexion.

“Yeah, I’m-” Marinette started, but quickly cupped a hand to her lips and dove for the nearest trash can.

“Maybe we should call it quits for today,” Alya said, holding her hair and rubbing her back.

“No, no, I’m fi-” Marinette said before a second wave came, and she stuck her face back into the bin.

“I’ll go get you some water,” Alya said as her friend puked her lunch.

The girls sank into the bushes with sighs, crossing this idea off their list.

_Attempt ~~31~~ 32_

“The Louvre is totally chill and full of history, which Alya loves,” Alix said as Marinette assessed her outfit in the bathroom mirror.

“Plus, a lot of the art depicts couples and lovers, so you’ll be able to ease right into romance talk,” Rose said.

“And there are no rollercoasters to puke on or siblings to babysit or picnic lunches to get rained on,” Mylene listed on her fingers.

“Bees to get stung by.” Alix added.

“Candles to knock over and start fires.”

“There are stairs you can possibly fall down, so watch your step.”

“Okay, I get it. I’ve failed a lot of times in a lot of different ways,” Marinette huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

“You’ll be fine this time,” Alix assured her, but Marinette’s shoulders slumped.

“That’s what we say every time. What if it’s just not meant to be?” Marinette lowered her gaze with a frown, and the girls exchanged looks.

“Don’t say that, Marinette. You’ll tell her how you feel at just the right moment, and everything will fall into place,” Rose said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, everything is gonna be fine.” Mylene patted her hand, and Juleka muttered some sort of agreement.

“Thanks, girls.” Marinette offered them a smile before taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. “I can do this.”

“Go get her, Marinette!” The girls cheered as she paced from the bathroom with her head held high.

Alya was waiting at the base of the stairs for her, and she smoothed her blouse, taking a deep breath before heading over to meet her. When she saw Marinette, Alya smiled, and Marinette felt her heart skip a beat. She always looked at her with such warmth and familiarity, and Marinette wanted to stay lost in those eyes forever. But such things were unpractical especially when she got so wrapped up in her daydream that she tripped through the ropes that sectioned off the line and fell forward into a heap of poles and ribbon.

“Are you okay?” Alya rushed over to help her up as Marinette stared up at the high ceiling in a daze.

She quickly realized what had happened, cheeks burning as she shot up with a laugh.

“Uh, yeah, totally! I’m such a klutz,” she said lamely, rubbing the back of her neck, and a few employees shot her dirty looks as they picked up her mess.

“You need to watch where you’re going,” Alya chuckled, and Marinette glanced down at their hands still entwined, a small smile curling on her lips.

“I just have a lot on my mind today,” she said softly, giving Alya’s hands a squeeze.

“Tell me all about it while we walk,” Alya said, tugging her along to the first hallway. “Oh, by the way, Nino told me that Adrien is gonna be at Chloe’s birthday party next weekend, and he can totally help sneak us in if you want to go.”

“Uh, actually, Alya, I’m over Adrien,” Marinette said, curling her shoulders, and her friend stopped short.

“Wait, for real?” Alya’s eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, I always messed up when I tried to tell him how I felt, and I could never get my words right around him anyway,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Besides, there’s someone else that I like now…”

“Scoop! Who is it?” Alya placed her hands on her shoulders with a grin, and Marinette glanced up at her through her lashes.

_It’s you._

She wanted to say it, but the words got trapped on her tongue just like they always did. But today was the day she was going to set them free. She didn’t want to let fear or nerves run her life anymore. For once, she wanted to be happy and in love. The heroine of Paris deserved that much, right?

“It’s…” She started, but an alarm sounded overhead.

“ _Akuma alert. Akuma alert. Please evacuate calmly_.”

“Ohh, an akuma! I should go get footage for my blog!” At Marinette’s wince, she added, “Is that okay? We can totally talk afterward, I promise.”

“Yeah…It’s fine. Go ahead,” Marinette said with a sad frown, and Alya pulled her in for a tight hug before racing off with her phone. “Love you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“I’m starting to think that the universe is trying to tell me to give up,” Marinette said, her voice muffled by the pillow she had her face buried in.

“Don’t say that. Alya knows that you have feelings for someone else now, so she’s going to want to know who it is,” Rose said, patting her hair.

“Yeah, you’ll tell her next time for sure,” Mylene said with an encouraging smile, and Marinette let out a soft moan that made her friends exchange looks.

“Okay, we need to come up with a plan that absolutely guarantees that Marinette will be able to tell her,” Alix said, slamming a fist on her knee. “So, what do we got?”

_Attempt 33, the final attempt before Marinette accepts that she’s going to be alone forever. A: That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? M: It’s true though. R: No, it isn’t because this plan is going to work!_

Marinette let a deep breath pass her lips, and she wiped her sweating palms on her dress for what felt like the hundredth time. Juleka and Rose were with her this time, and they’d planned the perfect romantic evening looking at Christmas lights that was guaranteed to give Marinette the opportunity to tell Alya her feelings. Alix and Mylene were on standby with extra clothes in the instance she spilled something on herself, anti-nausea medication, and an assortment of encouraging phrases to keep her going.

“She’s here,” Rose said, grabbing Marinette’s hand, and Marinette felt her heart jump up to her throat.

Juleka placed hands on her shoulders as Alya approached, and Marinette focused on taking calming breaths which was hard to do considering Alya looked like an actual goddess. Granted, she always looked beautiful and confident, but Marinette had grown more aware of this fact recently and found herself quite weak any time she glanced at her.

“Hey, girls, ready to go?” Alya asked, and Juleka and Rose nudged Marinette toward her.

“Uh, yes. Let’s go all together. All four of us. Together,” Marinette said, giving Juleka and Rose a pleading look, and they both nodded in understanding.

“Let’s start up the street. I’ve heard they’re doing rickshaw rides at the Trocadero, so let’s head there last,” Rose said, taking the lead, and Marinette let out another breath as they started up the street.

Several times, she bumped her hand into Alya’s in a vain attempt to work up the courage to hold it, but each time, she chickened out. It was probably for the best anyway. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and she was grateful for her gloves to hide it.

“Um,” she started as they walked behind Juleka and Rose, and Alya turned to her with a prompting smile. “Did you redye your hair recently?”

“Oh, yeah. Nora helped me last night,” Alya said, twirling a strand of red hair.

“It looks nice,” Marinette said, biting her lip and averting her gaze, and Alya eyed her a moment.

“Thanks. I love your sweater; did you make it?” Alya said pinching the material.

“Uh, yeah. I did,” Marinette said, glancing down at it with rosy cheeks. Her armpits were sweating despite the cold.

“Well, I’m glad to see you dressed for the weather this time.” Alya winked playfully, and Marinette let out a short laugh. “So, you never told me the scoop on this new person you have your eye on. Who is it?”

“Oh, uh, it’s…” Marinette stiffened, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Do I know them?” Alya asked.

“Kind of?” Marinette shrugged with a wince, glancing ahead at Rose who flashed her an encouraging thumbs up. “

“Are they in our class?”

“Yeah…” Marinette winced, and Alya perked up.

“Scoop! Guy or girl!” Alya bounced excitedly, and Marinette covered her face to hide how her cheeks flushed. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. You know I won’t tell, and I totally want to help hook you up.”

Marinette whimpered pathetically, and Alya’s face softened.

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me if you’re embarrassed, but I totally support you 100%, you know that, right?” Alya said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Mmhmm.” Marinette nodded, and Alya brushed her cheek with a gloved finger.

“Whenever you’re ready to tell me, I’ll totally listen, okay?” Alya said, and Marinette lowered her hands.

“I’m just kind of scared of what you’ll think,” Marinette admitted, and Alya quirked a brow.

“It’s not Chloe, is it?” She asked, nose wrinkling in disgust.

“No! Absolutely not!” Marinette shook her head several times, and Alya relaxed a little.

“Then I’m cool with it being anyone else,” Alya said with a shrug, and Marinette lowered her gaze again with pursed lips.

“Even if it’s you?” Marinette mumbled, but her voice was drowned out by a car passing, and Alya leaned in closer to hear.

“What was that?” Alya cupped a hand to her ear, but Marinette looked away.

“Nothing,” she said, clasping her hands together, and Alya gave her a long look before smiling.

“You’re so cute when you get shy, M,” she chuckled. “Let’s take a rickshaw ride and calm you down.”

“O-Okay,” Marinette said as Alya took her hand and pulled her along.

Why was she so nervous? Every time she tried to tell Alya how she felt, her throat closed up, and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Alya was her best friend, and she knew Marinette through and through, so why was Marinette so scared to tell her how she felt. If anyone knew her, it was Alya, and if anyone could love her for who she was, it was Alya. So why wouldn’t those three words leave her lips?

She eyed Alya’s hand as their rickshaw took off up the street, and she started to reach for it but seemed to think better of it before letting her hand fall back to her lap. After a few minutes, Alya turned to her with a sympathetic smile and placed her hand over hers.

“Hey, why the long face?” She asked, and Marinette averted her gaze.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” she said, but Alya wasn’t convinced, stretching out a hand to lift Marinette’s chin.

“Don’t even think about lying to me, girl. I know you, and you mean the world to me, so I’m not going to stop until I cheer you up,” Alya said with a smile, and at Marinette’s wince, she pursed her lips. “Ya know, I think you’ve got something on your lips.”

“What?” Marinette blinked, and Alya leaned forward to press her lips to Marinette’s gently.

“Oh, looks like it’s my lips,” Alya said when she pulled away, and Marinette felt her entire face heat up as her heart sped into a sprint.

“H-How did you-”

“I didn’t realize it at first, but after you tried to hold my hand for the 12th time, I started to take the hint,” Alya said with a shrug, and Marinette buried her face in her hands again. “Hey, don’t hide.”

“I’m so embarrassed!” Marinette cried into her lap, and Alya wrapped her arms around her.

“Why? I’m really happy,” Alya said in her ear.

Marinette shook her head, so Alya let out a sigh.

“I kind of wish you would have told me before we came. I would have worn something cuter,” Alya said, tapping her chin.

“You always look cute,” Marinette mumbled, and Alya bit back a smile.

“Well, yeah, I know, but I would have looked extra cute for a date with my girlfriend,” she said, and Marinette sat up so abruptly that Alya couldn’t help but laugh. “Will you say it for me? Please?”

“Mmm,” Marinette hummed, puffing out her cheeks, and Alya leaned in to press her forehead against hers.

“Should I go first then?” She asked, and Marinette felt her cheeks heat up again. “You know I’ve always said that I love you, and I’ve always meant it just not in the way you thought.”

“But you were always trying to set me up with Adrien,” Marinette said, eyebrows furrowing.

“I thought that’s what you wanted, and I’ve always just wanted you to be happy.” Alya shrugged, and Marinette buried her face in her shoulder.

“I love you,” she murmured into Alya’s sweater, and Alya wrapped her arms around her with a smile.

“I love you too, Marinette,” she said softly, nuzzling into her hair.

“So, does this mean you want to be together forever and get a cute apartment with a balcony and a goldfish and-” Alya cut her off with another kiss and a short laugh.

“Why don’t we just start with being girlfriends and go from there?” Alya asked with a smirk, and Marinette nodded.

“Yeah, that’s probably smart,” she said, and Alya laced their fingers together as Marinette leaned against her shoulder for the duration of the ride.

“You did it!” Rose cheered when they got off by the Eiffel Tower where Mylene and Alix were also waiting, and Marinette curled her shoulders as Alya shot her a playful smirk.

“Don’t tell me you’ve all been scheming to help Marinette confess to me?” Alya cocked a hip, and when they all averted their gazes, she threw her head back with a laugh. “Girl, you’re a wreck, but I suppose you’re my wreck, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She wrapped her arms around Marinette who leaned into her embrace with a giddy smile as the other girls all cooed in unison. All of those fears washed away in an instant, and she was filled with all of Alya’s warmth. As it turned out, the easiest way to date your best friend was simply to ask, but Marinette had never been one to do things the easy way, so she supposed that 32 failed schemes worked too. After all, she only needed one to be successful in order to find her happily ever after, and fortunately for her, Alya found it all pretty adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is. I didn't edit the last two chapters really because we die like men, and I already took a year and a half to write this, so I just wanted to publish it. Hopefully it was cute. It was meant to be short and sweet, and was only supposed to be 5k, and I went a little over, so ehh. I'll be getting time off for the holidays this month, so I have plans to write and finish a few wips that I have in my banks, so if this isn't your cup of tea, stay tuned for other things!


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